Surveying instrument



Dec. 26, 1939.

A. LANGSNER sURvEYING INSTRUIENT Original Filed March 16, 1935 ADN NG QN lll" Mahi

Patented Dec. .26, 1939 SURVEYING INSTRUMENT Adolph Langsner, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Eugene Dietzgen Company, Chicago, Ill., a

'of Delaware corporation original application March 16, 1935, serial N0.

Divided and this application January 31, 1938, Serial N0. 187,995

5 Claims.

eye-piece and reticle adjusting means; a further object being to provide the foregoing construction in a telescope having objective focusing means therein and a turnable collar on the barrel of the telescope for shifting the objective focusing means, said turnable collar having portions cooperating with the sleeve-like cover in order to prevent entrance of dust and other foreign media within the barrel and eye-piece structure of the telescope.

Another important object is to provide a novel telescope objective focusing means comprising a collar enclosing the barrel of the telescope and operatively connected for shifting an objective focusing lens longitudinally within the barrel wherein the collar cooperates with the barrel of the telescope to prevent entrance of dust and other foreign matter to said focusing lens.

Another important object is to provide a telescope comprising a sleeve-like barrel having a guide-way for shiftable focusing means anchored within the barrel and providing a space between the parts within which is housed a sleeve-like adjusting device for moving the focusing means longitudinally of the barrel, the guide having an end projecting outwardly of the barrel in position .to carry an eye-piece assembly in line with the focusing means whereby the eye-piece assembly may be utilized to retain the sleeve-like adjusting device in operating position with a manually operable portion of the device exposed between the eye-piece assembly and the end of the barrel of the telescope; a further object being to arrange the exposed portion of the sleevelike device to cooperate with the eye-piece assembly as well as with the telescope barrel for the purpose of excluding dust and other foreign matter from the operating portions of the telescope.

Among the other important objects is to provide a surveying instrument having an improved appearance, including dust-proof adjusting devices including means formed and arranged for protecting said devices from injury; to provide a dust-proof eye-piece and objective focusing assembly; to utilize a rotatable cellar for objectively focusing the telescope; to utilize cam means in connection with a rotatable sleeve for accomplishing the adjustment of the objective focusing means;,to provide a, dust-seal in cooperation with the eye-piece focusing means and a cover for reticle adjusting devicesl in telescopes having an eye-piece including an adjustable reticle means; and to provide a dust-seal through the cooperation of the objective focusing means and a removable cover sleeve forming a part of an eyepiece assembly adjacent the objective focusing means.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, which, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, discloses preferred embodiments of my invention.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an instrument embodying the features of my present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 in Figure l; and

Figures 3 and 4 are exploded assembly views of parts of the device shown in Figure 2.

To illustrate my invention, I have shown, on the drawing, a surveying instrument comprising a sighting device and support means |2 for tiltingly carrying the sighting device in operative position. The sighting device preferably comprises a telescope supported in asleeve-like frame |3 having projecting axles I5 adapted to be carried in bearings formed in a suitable support frame.

The telescope or sightingA device comprises a tubular, preferably cylindrical barrel |3|, which is or may be provided with a belled extension |33 at one end to receive an objective lens cell |35. At its opposite end, the telescope barrel is provided with an eye-piece assembly |31 including an eye-piece focusing device |39 and an adjustable reticle I4I. The barrel also carries an objective focusing means |43 between thekeyepiece and objective lens assemblies. The objective focusing means is slidable longitudinally within the barrel and carries a focusing lens cell |45 fitted therein for'the purpose of objectively focusing the telescope. The objective focusing means comprises a preferably cylindrical sleeve |46 having an aperture |41 in its end facing the eye-piece assembly, said sleeve carrying a frame |49 secured thereto, at its end opposite the aperture |41, in any suitable fashion as by means of the holding screws III. The frame |49 carries the focusing lens |53 in alignment with the aperture |41. Means comprising the knurled collar |1| is operable outwardly of the barrel of the telescope for adjusting the position of the slide within the barrel. The reticle also is adjustable by means of the screws |6| which are exposed outwardly of the telescope barrel and normally closed by a readily removable sleeve-like cover 265. The eye-piece also has a turnable part |95 projecting from an end of the cover for focusing the same on the cross hair reticle |4|; anda. scale 2|! and cooperating index 2|5 may be arranged on the part |95 and the cover to indicate the adjustment of the eye-piece.

'I'he objective focusing means |43 is carried in a frame comprising a cylindrical element fitted and secured in the barrel in any suitable fashion as at |51. The frame |55 has an extension |59 projecting outwardly of the eyepiece end of the barrel, and the eye-piece assembly is carried on a frame |6|, which is threaded or otherwise suitably mounted,-as at |63, upon the projecting end of the frame |55 and secured in place by means of the fastening screws |65. The frame |55 has an external diameter somewhat less than the internal diameter of the barrel to provide an annular space between the barrel and said frame. An elongated sleeve-like nut |61 is mounted in this annular space with the threads |69 of the nut facing inwardly on the extension |56. The sleeve-like nut 61 at the end of the barrel is formed with an annular collar |1| resting on and overlying the end of the barrel, said collar having a flange |12 to embrace the end of -the barrel so that Athe parts are interfltted in a barrel and said nut. If desired, resilient packing |14 may be arranged in a groove in the collar to enhance the sealing effect. The peripheral surfaces of the collar |1| are preferably knurled in order to facilitate turning of the same in rotating the nut |61.

'I'he frame |55 is provided with longitudinally extending slots |13 in its opposite walls and the focusing means |46 carries radially extending` pins |15, which pass through the slots |13 and have heads extending in the threads |69 of the nut. The heads of the pins are provided with bearing blocks |11 so that when the nut is rotated, the cooperation of the pins |15 in the slots |13 and the threads |69 will cause the objective slide to travel longitudinally in the way providedv by the frame |55, the direction of movement of the focusing means being determined by the direction of rotation of the collar |1|.

As ,heretofore mentloned, the eye-piece assembly |31 .comprises the frame part |6|,v which is threaded' upon the end of the frame extension |59 outwardly of the collar |1|. The inner end of the frame |6| serves, when the same is assembled, to engage the outer end of the sleeve |1| and hold the same in place upon the barrel with the end of the barrel received in the notch provided by the flange |13. The frame |6| has a portion |16 within which is carried the cross-hair reticle |4|. This reticle comprises an annular collar threaded to receive a cross-hair cell (not shown) and -the threaded collar is adjustably mounted within the frame extension |19 for adjustment radially therein in order to align the cross-hair cell within the telescope. To this end, headed adjusting screws |6| are provided, said |55 is secured on the barrel of the telescope.

threaded sockets formed to receive them in the reticle collar. The outer end ofthe extension |19 is internally threaded to receive an eye-piece.4

support frame |63 having an annular flange |65 aifordlng a stop for limiting the threading movement of the support frame |63 into the end of the frame extension |19, said stop serving to lock and -seal the parts together.

The frame |63 supports a lens carrier |61, in which is mounted an eye-piece lens cell |69. The carrier |61 comprises a sleeve formed with helical grooves |9| on its opposite sides and the frame `|63 carries screws |93, the inner ends of which extend in the helical grooves' |9| The eye-piece assembly provides for shifting the carrier 61 1ongitudinally within the slide-way provided by the frame |63 by turning the helically slotted carrier |61 within the frame |63, longitudinal movement being accomplished by the cooperation of the inwardly projecting screws |93 in the helical slots |9I, it being remembered that the screws |93 are carried rigidly on the frame |63, which, in turn, is secured rigidly on the frame portion |19. 'I'he frame |19-forms a part of the frame |6|, which is rigid with the extension |59 of the objective slide support frame |55, and this frame In order to turn the carrier |61 to accomplish the adjustment of the eye-piece cell |69 to thereby focus the eyepiece cell upon the cross-hairs carrled in the reticle |4|, I provide a sleeve-like collar |95 having a skirt portion embracing the frame |63 and normally enclosing and concealing the heads of the screws |93. The sleeve-like collar |95 has an open end |91 adapted to abut the outer end of the frame |63, said end |91 being of restricted diameter and threaded or otherwise secured upon an end of the carrier |61 which projects outwardly of the frame |63. The sleeve-like collar |95 is fastened to the carrier |61 as by means of the fastening screws |99 and the outer surfaces of said sleeve-like collar are preferably knurled to facilitate turning of the same manually.

If desired, an eye-piece cover 26|, having an aperture 263 may be threaded upon the extremity of the carrier |61 in order'to finish thel ocular end of the eye-piece assembly, the Vaperture 263 being, of course, in axial alignment with the lens cell |69. It will be noted that, in turning the adjustable eye-piece carrier, the collar |95 will be moved toward the right from the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, which will tend to uncover the heads of the screws |63. One of the purposes of forming the collar |95 as a sleeve-like' cover for the screws |93 is to prevent exposure of the same and entrance of dirt and other foreign matter thereto. It is also desirable to enclose the heads of the reticle adjusting screws |8| and I accomplish this by means of the sleeve-like cover 265 having a head 261 adapted to bear snugly upon the outer surfaces of the collar |95. This head 261 may be internally grooved to receive resilient packing 266 to improve the sealing effect.

The sleeve-like cover element 265 also has a portion 269 at its other end formed for threaded engagement upon the enlarged portion of the frame |6| so that when the cover member 265 is applied, it will not only enclose the reticle adjusting screws |6| but will also form, with the collar |95, an expansible closure to prevent entrance of dirt and other foreign matter into the eye-piece assembly through the openings in the frame |83, which receives the screws |93. The cover member 205 is also provided with an extension 2| adapted to snugly overlie the outer end of the adjusting collar of the objective slide in order to cover the joint between said collar and the abutting end of the frame |6| and thus prevent the entrance of dirt and other foreign matter at this point. If desired, the collar may be provided with a groove containing packing 2 |2 to improve the sealing effect.

If desired, the end of the cover, adjacent the turning element |95, and said turning element may be provided with a cooperating scale 2|3 and a gauge mark 2|5 in order to indicate the focused setting of the eye-piece.

It is thought that the invention and numerous of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the several parts of the illustrated apparatus without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages, the forms herein describedbeing merely for the purpose of illustrating the invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

l. A telescope comprising a cylindrical barrel having an objective lens cell mounted therein, a tubular support frame secured in said barrel and having a portion extending outwardly of an end of said barrel remote from said objective lens cell, said support frame having a cylindrical portion at said end of the barrel defining an annular chamber between the frame and the barrel, said frame forming an internal slideway and having a longitudinal slot therein opening between said slideway and said annular chamber, an objective focusing lens assembly movable in said slideway longitudinally of said barrel, adjusting means comprising a nut extending in said annular space, said nut having inwardly facing threaded portion, said focusing lens' assembly having a cam member projecting through said slot in position drivingly engaging with said threaded portion, said nut having also a collar portion extending outwardly of the end of said barrel in position to slidingly engage the end of the barrel and exposed for manipulation to turn said nut, said frame outwardly of said nut having a means thereon forming an abutment in position to engage the collar portion and to retain the same between said abutment and the end of said barrel.

2. A telescope as set forth in claim 1, wherein the nut at the manually operable collar portion thereof is formed with a slot in position interfittingly receiving the end edge of said barrel whereby to provide a turnable joint between the collar and barrel to prevent entrance of foreign matter at the end of the barrel.

3. A telescope as set forth in claim 1, wherein the nut at the manually operable collar portion thereof is formed with a slot in position interttingly receiving the end edge of said barrel whereby to provide a turnable joint between the collar and barrel to prevent entrance of foreign matter at the end of the barrel, and resilient .gasket means in said groove in position to wipinglyengage the end of said barrel.

4. A telescope as set forth in claim 1, including means forming an annular lip on said abutment means in position encircling the end of said collar portion remote from said barrel whereby to exclude foreign matter from entering between said collar portion and said abutment means.

5. A telescope as set forth in claim 1, wherein said frame outwardly of said manually operable collar portion carries a frame extension, a reticle cell supported by said extension in alignment with the objective focusing lens assembly, means exposed outwardly on said frame extension and operable for adjusting the alignment of said reticle cell, an eyepiece lens carrier on said frame extension and longitudinally movable therein in alignment with said reticle cell, said lens carrier having an end exposed outwardly of an end of said frame extension remoter from said reticle cell, a manually operable collar on the outwardly extending portions of said lens carrier, said collar having a skirt overlying the end of said frame extension and a sleeve-like cover removable on said abutment means and having an annular edge at the one end thereof embracing and wiping upon the collar portion of said nut to form a running seal therewith, said cover, at its other vend, having an annular portion wipingly engaging the said skirt to form a seal therewith for the exclusion of foreign matter, the cover havingmedial portions enclosing said frame extension and the portions of the reticle adjusting means exposed thereon.

ADOLPH LANGSNER. 

